Hey, I actually have slightly more time than I anticipated! Well, here's the introduction for the Archie cast. And the OC added for gender balance I mentioned earlier.
Chapter 2:Knuckles recognized almost everyone in the room. As Princess Sally took her seat at the head of the table, Antoine, a brown coyote in a blue military jacket with golden shoulder decorations sat on her right. On her left was the team’s inventor, Rotor, a purple walrus in a backwards light orange baseball cap. Beside Antoine was the person who had to be the team’s best fighter now – Bunnie. She was a blonde-haired light brown rabbit with a mechanical set of legs and a single robotic arm, glinting silver where the light struck. Across from her was a person Knuckles didn’t recognize. She was a red-furred tiger with a purple headband, partially-obscured by a dangling shock of wavy hair, as red as her fur. Other than that, her hair appeared to be pulled back into a long ponytail. The arms that rested on the table were adorned with purple wristbands before the traditional white gloves.
“Before I start, there are some introductions to be made,” said Sally. “Tiga, these are old friends of ours, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Guys, this is Tiga. She’s our newest recruit.”
“Heard a lot about you guys,” said Tiga, standing and walking around the table, revealing herself to be wearing a black karate belt around her waist. She shook hands with Tails and Knuckles (not even hesitating when she saw the spikes on his gloves! She’d been told about them, apparently), but when Sonic offered his hand, she folded her arms and turned away, glaring at him from the corners of her eyes. Sally looked a bit annoyed, but said nothing about it. Neither did Sonic, luckily enough, and he sat down next to Bunnie, Tails sitting beside him. Out of space to sit on that side, Knuckles took a place across from Tails, one space away from Tiga. She gave him a polite nod, and turned her attention to Sally.
“Everyone, as you know, Robotnik has begun ‘recruiting’ from here again. The Freedom Fighters need to mobilize, but we couldn’t do that before. See, whenever we tried, Robotnik’s forces would swarm the area looking for us and we’d be forced to retreat and defeat them so they didn’t find us and go back to Robotnik with our location. We need people here who can do that. But we also need four people to go fight Robotnik. That’s why I’ve asked for your help, you three. Sonic, Knuckles, I’d like it if you went up against Robotnik with Antoine and Tiga. Tails, can you stay here and guard this place with Bunnie and me?”
“Um…sure,” said Tails, feeling slightly apprehensive about not going with Sonic.
“I got it,” said Sonic simply. He was glad she hadn’t asked him to stay.
“Ready to punch Robotnik’s lights out,” said Knuckles with an almost-sadistic grin. The
real reason for his smile was because it was another chance for Sonic to realize his folly. He could let Amy run their team and stay here where he belonged! (Plus he got to pummel Robotnik! It couldn’t get much better!)
“Good. According to Rotor’s radar, the Death Egg was landing in the Aquatic Ruin Zone. We think it’s going to refuel. Antoine, I think it was your idea, wasn’t it?”
“Er, yes, Princess,” said Antoine, clearing his throat as he stood. “I have estimated that the Death Egg takes approximately a week to refuel completely. I believe that, moving as a group of four and destroying all enemies along the way, we can make it to the Death Egg in time. Once inside, two of us should try to sabotage the Egg as much as possible, while the other two face off against Robotnik.”
“I don’t see any problem with that,” said Sonic, resting an elbow on the table. “So when do we leave?”
“Right now.”
“Really? Alright! Let’s go kick Robotnik’s butt!” Sonic stood so quickly he knocked his chair over. “C’mon, Knux, let’s go!”
Knuckles nodded and stood, looking over at Tiga as she stood with him. “Looking forward to fighting with ya. Don’t disappoint me.”
Tiga folded her arms. “I don’t wear this belt for nothing.”
“Heh, I guess not. Let’s get goin’!”
“Good luck, guys!” Tails called after them as they left, Antoine rushing to catch up.
Posted on: 7 August 2008, 14:25:09
Yay, I've got tomorrow off so I can stay up late and post!
...Okay, I
know the part I described is from Aquatic Ruin Act 2 and they just reached the Zone, but I just like it too much, and besides, it's AU anyway.
Chapter 3:Tiga and Antoine were all but left behind as Sonic and Knuckles reached their top speeds, far ahead of them as they tore across Emerald Hill.
Several minutes after the two had vanished from sight, the slower Mobians stopped.
“I’d heard they were fast,” said Tiga. “But…wow.”
“I had forgotten, myself,” agreed Antoine.
Soon enough, two blurs, one red, one blue, came racing back to them, dust trails high in the air behind them. Sonic and Knuckles skidded to a halt, spraying their allies in the face with short blades of grass. Tiga snorted and brushed the offending blades from her face, Antoine grimacing and bearing it.
“Whoops, sorry,” said Sonic. “…You guys need a lift?”
“Please,” said the two Freedom Fighters simultaneously.
“Alright.” He turned to Tiga. “You don’t mind being carried, do you?”
“By
you, I do,” said Tiga, folding her arms.
Sonic narrowed his eyes. “Hey, what’s the big idea? I don’t know what the princess told you, but if it’s about me leaving the Fighters-”
“It’s not just the
Fighters you left,” the tiger cut him off, her tone acidic.
“Stop,” said Antoine. “We don’t have the time to argue, we only have a week to figure out where in the Aquatic Ruin Zone the Death Egg is, get inside, and complete our mission. If it bothers you that much Tiga, then Sonic can carry me, and Knuckles can carry you. Everyone can agree to that?”
“Yeah,” said Sonic slowly. “Wow, Antoine, you’ve really changed. You sound a lot more serious. …Uh, hey Knux, you alright carrying her?”
“Uh-huh… You’ve got no problem lettin’ me carry ya, right?” Knuckles asked Tiga.
Tiga shook her head.
“A’right, then.” He lifted Tiga off the ground. “Ready?” he asked Sonic as he picked up Antoine.
“Ready. Let’s jet!”
Knuckles held tightly to Tiga as he raced alongside Sonic across the grassy hills, a shimmering lakebed below. His thoughts were occupied with the exchange between Sonic and Tiga, and the newcomer, herself.
Clearly, they shared their views on Sonic, but to differing degrees. On a level, it hurt him to know there was someone on their side who thought badly of the blue speedster. She didn’t know him, didn’t know the effect he had on others. Three members of their squad, Shadow, Rouge, and Silver, had been their adversaries until Sonic had changed them. Even
he had been Sonic’s bitter rival until he’d come to know him. Sonic wasn’t a bad person – he had just made a mistake. And even if he continued to refuse to see how badly he’d slipped, it still didn’t change the fact that this was no act of malice. He hoped he’d be able to show Tiga the truth at some point.
As they ran, the grass gradually became taller, a paler shade of green. Trees began appearing, sparsely at first, but soon they were overshadowed by a rich, leafy canopy. There was a mountain looming above them soon enough, and a waterfall cascaded down, into a crystal-clear lake they now stood above on a precipice. A pair of automated platforms swung above the shimmering waters, still powered by ancient mechanisms long-abandoned, serving as a bridge for a civilization that was no longer there. On the other side of their course, there was another precipice, leading around the mountain.
Sonic and Knuckles set their passengers down beside a pale marble column. Awestruck, Tiga and Antoine walked to the edge of the cliff.
“Incredible,” murmured Antoine. “This place must have been amazing in its time.”
“In its time?” repeated Tiga. “It’s amazing
now!”
Knuckles leaned casually against the column and crossed his arms. “Wonder what they were like?”
“Well,” said Sonic, “they must’ve been-” he stopped suddenly as he caught a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. “Knuckles!
Duck!”
Quickly, the echidna obeyed. A hidden hatch in the column he’d been leaning against opened. An arrow shot just over his head, heading straight towards the two Freedom Fighters.
“Look out!” Knuckles yelled, scrambling to run towards them.
Antoine threw himself to the ground, throwing his hands over his head protectively as the arrow passed over him.
Tiga’s reaction, however, was to back up. Her heel knocked some clumped soil loose, and she fought to gain her balance. Knuckles passed the arrow in a red blur and slammed into Tiga as the platform swung towards them.
The arrow passed over them as they landed on the platform…
…And Knuckles’s momentum caused the pair of them to skid right off the edge.
Panicking as the water’s surface rose to meet them, the echidna tried to right them, tried to get into a position he could glide from.
But it was to no avail. Their allies’ frustrated cries from above were drowned out as they hit the water and quickly sank, vanishing from sight beneath the leaves of underwater plants.
Posted on: 10 August 2008, 23:46:25
Combined post is long...
Not much here. Tiga's abilities explained - she can swim. That's about it. Chapter length should be increasing any time now.
Chapter 4:“I…I can’t believe I didn’t do anything,” said Sonic numbly.
“There was nothing you could have done…” said Antoine. “But they’re certainly not dead. Tiga is a skilled swimmer.”
“…Yeah, and I’ve got faith in Knux… Let’s keep going. They’ll meet up with us later, I’m sure of it. We’ll even walk. I mean, we’ve got a week, right?”
“Right,” said Antoine. “Time the platforms carefully…”
“I know. I’ve been here before, remember?”
*****
Knuckles landed on the lake floor, staring directly at an underwater tunnel that snaked into the depths of shadows, well out of sight. It probably carried water away from the lake, for those parts of the ancient city that had no access.
Without landing, Tiga had righted herself to swim upwards, and she swiftly did so. Knuckles’s eyes widened as he watched her swim through the leaves. She was swimming about as fast as he ran!
The ache of held air in his chest reminded him he was underwater, and he took off running, into the tunnel. It was faster than swimming, for him, at least. He knew there was no way to go back up the way they came. The cliff face was too loose to allow him to climb. Perhaps if Tails had accompanied them, they might stand a chance of going straight up.
The tunnel seemed to go on forever. It was much longer than it had seemed, and it was pitch-black. Knuckles was glad it had been perfectly-straight thus far.
There was sudden movement beside him, and, without slowing, he glanced aside. His eyes had adjusted to the light as well as they could, but it was enough for him to tell it was Tiga, returned from her own failed route. Not willing to be outraced by someone who wasn’t even on the ground, Knuckles leaned farther forward into his run, his feet a blur beneath him as he zoomed along the tunnel.
His lungs began to protest, but he held his breath, running flat-out in this impromptu race.
And then he slammed into the wall. Nose and snout flattened against stone, and his body followed suit. A good deal of held air escaped from his mouth. He heard Tiga hit the wall above him, and the scrabbling of her hands and feet as she followed its curve. The fact that he’d been ahead meant she could avoid slamming into the wall like he had, seeing him do it first.
His lungs were burning, crying for oxygen. His focus wavered. He tried to run, but his step faltered.
Tiga felt the disturbance in the water from Knuckles’s thrashing about. She turned and swam back, her own chest aching. She reached out, and caught hold of one of the echidna’s flailing arms. The spike-gloved hand latched desperately onto her arm, Knuckles continuing to writhe in panic. Pulling him close, she swam with all her might, towards the blue light that marked the end of the tunnel, her body scraping against the floor as the tunnel sloped upwards.
The increasingly-bluer waters around him began to grow dimmer and dimmer in his vision, darkness in his periphery and logic.
Tiga felt air bubbles rise past her, and she knew Knuckles had passed out. She was starting to drown, herself, her limbs feeling heavier and heavier as she paddled madly for the surface, so close but so far away. Defying the panicked pounding of her heart, she pushed on. The both of them
would live!
The tiger broke the surface of the water, coughing as she drew grateful gulps of humid air. “Made it,” she gasped. “We made it, Knuckles…” She pulled the echidna’s head onto her shoulder, where it lolled lifelessly against her wet fur. “Knuckles? No… No way… C’mon, this isn’t funny… You’re one of Sonic’s closest friends, aren’t you…? …Can’t die…Wake up…”
She pulled herself and Knuckles out of the water, onto the sun-warmed stone rim of what she now knew was a primitive well. She lay Knuckles down and held a finger above his snout. No air warmed it. Whispering a violent curse, she began compressing his chest, pushing at the spot just below the white ring of fur below his neck. “You won’t die,” she whispered fiercely.
Sonic will kill me, she added mentally as she took a much deeper breath than her body was ready for. It hurt, but she knew, from Sally’s description, that Sonic was very capable of murderous rage, and there was no telling whether or not this would trigger it. It was best not to risk it; letting one of his best friends die was simply not an option. She breathed into him, and continued compression. She would do all she could.
*****
It was cold. Not Icecap cold, but the sort of chill that fur and coats couldn’t protect you from. It seemed to be so much more than a physical chill, turning any shred of vital essence into ice.
He was the last echidna… And he was messing
that up, too. He had been the last person able to guard the Master Emerald. But it had been fragmented, and the pieces scattered and lost, becoming more Chaos Emeralds buried throughout Mobius. He had failed at being the last guardian of the Emerald. He had failed at correcting his errors. He had failed to bring Sonic back to Sally (or at least figure out why he’d left her in the first place). It seemed his life had been composed of failure after failure. And now he was failing to live at all. He was failing to keep the race alive.
Give up, he told himself scathingly.
You aren’t worth the planet’s resources.Faint warmth. A flicker of life.
What…?More warmth. Pain.
I’m still…?Discomfort. Pain.
I’m still alive?More discomfort - a burning need.
Air! Breathe!Knuckles inhaled. His collapsed lungs filled painfully with sharp needles of air. His stomach turned and he coughed, retched, rolling onto his side as his breakfast forced itself out of his body. He shuddered as he tried, between coughs, to draw breath. He felt his head lifted off the ground, heard an indistinct female voice above him, and then unconsciousness set in once more.
(Author’s Aside: Some fun CPR facts! Just so you know I did my research.
1: CPR does not usually revive, but keeps the drowned person in a revivable state until proper revival methods can be used.
Not Used.2: A rib is usually broken during compression.
Not Used.3: The subject’s initial reaction if it does revive is to vomit.
Used.)
Posted on: 13 August 2008, 12:46:28
I made a mistake in the previous chapter. Knuckles's crescent-mark is lower on his body than I thought; Tiga should be compressing
on it, not
below it. However, the combined post is too long for me to edit, so I can't change it. So just amend it in your mind, or something.
Anyway, now we get to see the Emerald Hill gang fight. Because I felt like adding a fight scene here.
Chapter 5:Rotor rushed hurriedly into main chamber, where Sally was reading a magazine on her throne. “Princess Sally! My radar’s going crazy! There must be fifty robots out there looking for us! You’d better get ready to fight!”
“Get the others, hurry! The moment one finds us, they’ll all follow!” Sally dropped the book and sprang from the chair, grabbing the wooden quarterstaff leaning against the right armrest as she rushed to the entrance chamber.
The chipmunk held the staff in the middle, across her body. She hoped there would be no discovery, but the Badniks were running out of places to look. It meant they’d find them soon.
But they’d never catch them off-guard. Rotor’s radar would see to that. It could even tell him the nature of the creature – robot, Greater Mobian (the humanoids and humans), or Lesser Mobian (the smaller, “true” animals). Not even Robotnik’s radar system was that good!
Tails and Bunnie soon joined Sally at the entrance, both ready for combat. “Is this the only entrance?” Tails asked.
“That’s right,” said Bunnie. “Those robots can’t get in any other way.”
“But we can’t
get out any other way!” Tails pointed out frantically. “What if we need to escape?”
“Don’t worry. We won’t,” said Sally. “If things get rough, we can call Antoine back. He’s got a small receiver on the fur inside his ear. Rotor can tell him if we need help.”
“If you say so…” Needless to say, the two-tailed fox didn’t sound too comforted.
Rotor’s voice carried through the metal pipe embedded in the hollowed Emerald Hill mountain. “One of the Badniks is getting a little close. I hope you’re ready; he’s coming!”
A drilling sound could clearly be heard. “They’re coming in with a Burrobot!” Sally warned. “Get ready!”
The robot burst through, the drill that acted as its nose still spinning. Seeing the Freedom Fighters, its eyes began flashing rapidly. It was sending a signal to the other Badniks!
“Go!” Sally yelled, charging forward as Buzzbombers flew in to assist the Burrobot. She ducked under a plasma bullet sent from a Buzzbomber’s stinger, and cut the Burrobot’s transmission short, running it through its neck joint with her staff. Sparks flew from the widened aperture, the Burrobot’s motions becoming spastic.
Tails had taken to the air behind her, and was now hovering above her, his twin tails spinning like a helicopter’s blades. “Princess Sally!” he called.
Sally withdrew her staff and jumped, grabbing onto Tails’s outstretched hand. He lifted her safely away as the Burrobot exploded violently, destroying any Buzzbombers that hadn’t been smart enough to get away.
A trio of the smarter Buzzbombers figured the much-needed equipment and living supplies were farther in, so they decided they should avoid fighting and find those.
“Going somewhere?” Bunnie’s drawling voice intoned, stopping the trio of Buzzbombers short. She stood in their path, arms folded. “Please, stay awhile,” she continued, her robotic arm shooting out to grab the frontmost of the triangle formation. “Ain’t y’all heard of
Southern hospitality?” On the last two words, she crushed the struggling Buzzbomber she held. The other two thought this would be a good time to retreat, so they turned and fled. The bionic rabbit was faster, and the two robots were swiftly disabled with an extended kick and punch.
“No one messes with the Rabbot!” said Tails cheerfully. “That never changed!”
“Some things just don’t,” said Sally with a small grin, dropping from his grasp and launching into a spinning kick that destroyed a group of Buzzbombers that had decided to attack her as she fell. She landed staff-first, swung around it, and kicked a second Burrobot as it entered.
Tails swooped down as a trio of Coconuts loped in with sacks full of their namesake ammunition, going vertical and deflecting their thrown projectiles back into them with his tails. The force knocked him from the air, and he landed heavily on the ground. “Oww… That hurt…” he groaned, looking worriedly at his now-sore natural propeller blades.
“You alright?” Bunnie asked him, standing beside him protectively. If an ally was down, it was only right to protect him, but with only three people, she hoped he wasn’t down for long.
“Yeah,” said Tails, standing. “I’m alright.” He felt the ground tremble slightly beneath them. “But I won’t be if I stand still! Move!” He threw himself into Bunnie, sending them to land on the ground, just as a third Burrobot emerged from the ground right where the rabbit had been standing. It would have clipped him as well, Tails knew. These enemies were standard fare for the speedy trio, after all.
“Tails, you should leave the deflecting to me,” said Sally, doing just that with three more Coconuts. She turned to help Bunnie and Tails with the third Burrobot, but a Caterkiller inched its way in. She rushed forward to fight it.
Tails took to the air, wincing – those coconuts hit hard! But he bore the pain and held out his hand to Bunnie. She reached up with her normal arm, and the flying fox lifted her with both hands, above the perplexed Burrobot.
Logic suddenly set into the Badnik’s mechanical brain, and it looked up as Bunnie extended her right leg down in a powerful stomp attack. The Badnik was flattened, but Bunnie screamed in pain as its drill bored into her foot. Startled, Tails dropped her and fell to the ground, himself. Bunnie’s scream distracted Sally, who turned from her fight with the Caterkiller, and the crafty insectoid lashed out with its spiked tail, catching her across the arm. The spikes sliced deep, and Sally cried out, dropping her staff. Another swipe across the legs caused them to buckle, and Sally found herself on the ground.
The Caterkiller gave an evil grin and raised its tail over its head, scorpion-like, to drive its tail-spike into the princess’s heart.
Suddenly, Bunnie’s mechanical arm extended over Sally, grabbing the Caterkiller behind its head segment. A sound like a revving engine sounded through the chamber as Tails, curled up, spun in place, only his tails remaining stationary. There was a gasp of pain from Bunnie as the trapped Caterkiller drove its spike into her extended wrist instead of Sally’s chest, sending sparks flying from the bionic limb.
At that moment, Tails released his hold on the ground, and he zoomed forward, slamming at high speed into the Caterkiller’s unprotected head. The Badnik shuddered and fell apart, round segments detached and useless. Only its tail remained stuck in Bunnie’s arm. Gritting her teeth, the rabbit retracted her arm as close as she could, and yanked the tail from her wrist.
“I don’t see any more,” said Rotor. “They’re gone.”
“Are you okay, Princess Sally?” Tails asked, holding out a hand to help her up.
“I’m alright…Thank you,” said Sally shakily as she allowed the young fox to pull her to her feet. Blood ran down her legs and injured arm, but the cuts weren’t so deep she couldn’t stand.
A mechanical whirring sound, like a stuck gear, drew their attention to Bunnie. Her robotic arm was still somewhat elongated, stuck at ankle-length, and wisps of smoke were issuing from the back of her right knee.
“Don’t worry about me, y’all,” Bunnie assured them, her pain evident in her voice. “I’m sure Rotor can fix me up.”
“I’ll help too,” said Tails.
“No, you’d best help Sally cover this hole the Badniks made. Otherwise, our mountain sticks out like a sore thumb. Rotor and I’ll join you once I’m all fixed.”
“She’s right, Tails,” said Sally. “Let’s get to work. Meet you outside, Bunnie.”
“But you’re hurt, too!” Tails protested.
“Would you rather do it by yourself? C’mon, let’s go.”
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